Chusetts



(No Model.)

B. M. CHAPMAN &-N. D. INGRAM.

BUTTON. 1 No. 423,984. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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W/TNESSES: Aim/r005 I F.w. m g: -W CLW, BY

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE M. CHAPMAN AND NATHAN D. INGRAM, OF HOLYOKE, MASSA- Ol-IUSETTS.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,984, dated March25, 1890.- I

Application filed June 21, 1889. Serial No. 315,044:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EU GENE M. CHAPMAN and NATHAN D. INGRAM, ofHolyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massach usetts, haveinvented a new anduseful Improvement in Buttons, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part thereof.

Our invention relates to buttons for garments, and particularly to thatclass of buttons which are provided with means whereby they can besecurely attached to the garment without the use of thread.

The object of our invention is to provide a button of this nature whichwill be composed of fewparts, thereby enablingit to be manufacturedcheaply, which will, nevertheless, be strong and durable in itsconstruction, and

which will be provided with means for secur- I ing it to the garment soconstructed that the fastening can be very quickly and easily performed,that it will not weaken the fiber of the cloth by its applicationthereto, and that it will present a neat and attractive appearance uponthe garment.

To these ends our invention consists in the button constructed ashereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters designate like parts inthe several figures, Figure 1 is a side view of the button. Fig. 2 is aplan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is acentral vertical section thereof. Fig. 5 is a reverse plan with theshank removed. Figs. 6 to 8, inclus'ive, illustrate modified forms ofthe button,

hereinafter referred to.

The button devised by us is composed of three parts merely-the cap a,collet b, and the shank c. The cap maybe stamped from sheetbrass orother metal in the usual manner, and

will have the usual peripheral flange or lip to engage and make a tightjoint with the collet, as shown. Said cap will also be provided in itspreferred form with the usual annulus struck up from its center, asshown at a,the diameter of which, however, will preferably be slightlygreater than heretofore,-for a purpose which will presently appear. Thecollet will also be stamped from sheet metal, or may be otherwise formedfrom any of the materials usually employed for the purpose, and may haveat its center the circular or oval struckup portion 1) usually found inshank-buttons. \Vithin said struck-up portion of the collet are made theorifices to receive the prong or prongs of the shank, and we prefer tomake said orifices by stamping out three sides of one or more small lipsor tongues 11*, which are then bent inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4,wherebythey are adapted to exert pressure against the prongs of the shank toaugment the positive hold of the latter upon the collet. The shank c ispreferably composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a base 0, andterminating in one or more prongs c standing perpendicularly to saidbase. As shown in Figs. 1, 3, and l, the base 0 is formed of a singlestraight bar and the prongs consist of the bent-up ends of said bar. Theends of the prongs are pointed, as shown, whereby they are adapted to bethrust through the fabric composing the garment, and the necessity ofemploying a needle or other device for previously puncturing the fabricis obviated. The prongs are also provided with barbs inclined toward thebase 0', as shown, to engage the collet and prevent withdrawal thereoffrom the latter. As shown in Fig. 4, said barbs are made within theouter sides of the'prongs, and the surface of the collet isslightlybeveled at the points where it engages the barbs for the purposeof making the engagement between them more positive; but, while weprefer such construction, it will be understood that said beveledsurface could be omitted without materially affecting the operation ofthe button, and that the barbs can be located upon either'side of theprongs or can entirely encircle them. The small lips or tongues 19eXertaspring-pressure against the inner sides of the prongs andpositively prevent the latter from being forced away, from theirengagement with the collet. In order to still further insure thisresult, we prefer to increase the usual diameter of the circular struekup portion or annulus a of the cap a, as previously stated, sufficientlyto cause the ends of the prongs to engage the inner side thereof, as

shown in Fig. 4, whereby said inner curved surface of the annulus actsas a wedge to force said prongs away from each other.

To apply the button thus constructed to a garment it is necessary simplyto thrust the prongs of the shank through the fabric from the inner sideof the latter, apply the body of the button, composed of the collet andcap, to the ends of the prongs upon the outer side of the fabric, andpress said body down upon the prongs as far as it will go. The firm holdtaken by the barbed prongs upon the collet render it practicallyimpossible for any amount of strain upon the garment to separate thebody of the button from the shank, while the fact that none of thefibers of the fabric are ruptured by the insertion of the prongstherethrough renders the button when thus attached fullyas strong as andmuch more durable than a sewed button. The base of the shank, moreover,being composed of a single bar of wire, cannot be a source ofinconvenience to the wearer of the garment, as is the case with buttonshaving a large and rigid base.

In Fig.6 we have shown the base of the shank as being made in curvedform instead of a straight bar, the curves somewhat resembling theletter S, and in Fig. 7, substantially the same form, but slightlyelongated, is shown. \Ve prefer to make the base of substantially thisform, inasmuch as a greater area of the fabric upon its rear side isthereby engaged, while the open nature of the base prevents it frombeing a source of annoyance to the wearer of the garment In Fig. 8 thecollet is shown provided with three orifices to adapt it to receivethree prongs on the shank instead of two. hen the shank has more thantwo prongs, we prefer to make the base either of a flat coil of wire orof a flattened metallic or other disk, and to secure the prongs theretobysoldering or by any other convenient method. It will be observed thatthe operation of the annulus a and lips or tongues 0 to retain theprongs in engagement with the collet, will be the same whether two ormore than two prongs be employed.

It will be observed, as hereinbefore stated, that the button hereinshown and described is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction,while being exceedingly strong and durable. It is likewise neat andattractive in appearance, can be passed through a button-hole as readilyas a sewed button, and can be almost instantly attached to a garment,thus eitecting a great saving in time in large establishments whereready-made clothing is manufactured.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The button herein described, comprising a collet having a pluralityof orifices, and an independent shank having a plurality of pointedprongs barbed upon one side, said collet being provided with thespring-lips b partly cut out of the same and which engage the sides ofthe inserted prongs opposite to their said barbs, thereby forcing thelatter into and maintaining them in engagement with the edges of theorifices,substantially as set forth.

2. The button herein described, composed of a cap, a collet, and a shankprovided with a plurality of pointed and barbed prongs, said collethaving a plurality of orifices to receive said prongs, and said caphavingacentrally-disposed annulus struck up therein, the diameter ofwhich is such that its inner curved edge will engage the ends of theprongs of the shank when the latter are in engagement with the collet,substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The button herein described, composed of the cap a, having annulus a,arranged as described, collet I), having the inwardly-bent lips ortongues b and shank c, composed of base 0 and prongs c formed from asingle piece of wire, said prongs being pointed at the ends and havingbarbs therein, substantially as set forth.

EUGENE M. CHAPMAN. NATHAN D. INGRAM. Witnesses:

W. H. CHAPMAN, J. E. CHAPMAN.

